Letter to The Community

In the aftermath of such a divisive Presidential election, many of us are feeling a sense of anxiety, fear and speculation about how we can move forward to best protect and serve our communities.

We want to make clear that at this point in time, there are absolutely NO changes to any of the vital programs administered by the Human Services Agency’s (HSA) three departments: the Department of Human Services, the Department of Aging and Adult Services and the Office of Early Care and Education. Our social safety net and protective services remain intact.

The values of respect, diversity, integrity, partnership and commitment to serve define the City of San Francisco and empower us to uphold and defend the programs entrusted to our care for our most vulnerable citizens. Mayor Lee has reinforced his resolve to ensure that San Francisco will continue to lead on Human Rights, remain a Sanctuary City and provide affordable healthcare for all. Many questions remain unanswered about the long-term future of our services. However, it is important to note that none of our programs can be singlehandedly dismantled by a Presidential Executive Order. Any changes would require specific acts of Congress. Even with the very real threats to reform or repeal the Affordable Care Act, we are hopeful that critical pieces of this health program that now insures 20 million Americans will continue.

We are proud that nearly one in four San Franciscans now has access to high-quality healthcare through the expansion of Medi-Cal under the Affordable Care Act. Similarly, California’s CalFresh program leverages federal funding to help bring more healthy food to the tables of nearly 50,000 San Franciscans who receive nutritional benefits each month. Dismantling these programs runs counter to healing the wounds of a divided nation and cannot simply fall into place without opposition from elected officials at the local, state, and national levels and a very large constituency of Americans.

In the coming months and years, we may very well need your support in protecting the services we have come to depend on. But for now, we remain open for business as usual. Our staff is more focused than ever on HSA’s mission to promote well-being and self-sufficiency among individuals, families and communities in San Francisco.

We invite you to join us in a renewed effort to strengthen our community partnerships as we implement innovative strategies to reach all eligible populations, renew benefits for existing clients and keep the community informed about any impending changes to our services.

Sincerely,

Trent Rhorer
Executive Director, Human Services Agency

Shireen McSpadden
Executive Director, Department of Aging and Adult Services

September Jarrett
Executive Director, Office of Early Care and Education